


Thistle & Weeds

by Glass Full of Sass (JaneGlen)



Category: The 100 (TV), Warehouse 13
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Raising siblings, post foster system
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-23
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-04-10 21:06:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4407650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaneGlen/pseuds/Glass%20Full%20of%20Sass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Joshua Donovan and Bellamy Blake meet, they each recognize something within the other that draws them together.<br/>It probably has something to do with the fact that each of them has a young girl clinging to them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really need to work on Life After (srry), but I'm drowning in W13 Plot Bunnies. Also, where all this present tense BS is coming from, I've no idea, but it's working well for me, so I'm running with it.  
> I was thinking about Joshua raising Claudia on his own, and then I thought "that's pretty similar to Modern AU Blakes" and then the Plot Bunny struck. So.  
> Joshua is roughly 20, Claudia's 11. Bellamy's 18ish, and Octavia's 12. I'll straighten out the timeline as the story progresses.

When Joshua Donovan and Bellamy Blake meet, they each recognize something within other that draws them together.

It probably has something to do with the fact that each has a young girl clinging to them.

Girls that look like them, and are far too old to be their daughters (even if they had been… _careless_ in years past), but far too young to be left to their own devices.

In any case, they meet in the university library, where Joshua is trying to do research for his thesis draft, and Bellamy is trying to find sources for his _eighth_ paper for the same class _this_ semester (it’s only _March_ ).

Claudia’s poking Joshua’s side, asking if she can go downstairs to the kids section, and Octavia is suddenly very quiet and Bellamy’s realizing that she’s still _next_ to him but not _really_ , and he follows her line of sight, to see two people who look a whole lot like they’re in the same sort of boat as Blakes.

Joshua really doesn’t want to tell Claudia ‘no’, but he can’t just let her go by herself, and he’s got to find this _one_ resource that must have been shelved incorrectly, because he’s been looking for ten minutes, and it’s just not _there_.

“We’ll go as soon as I find the book I’m looking for.” He promises, hoping that she’ll be satisfied.

When he looks up from her pout, he sees two people that look an awful lot like they’ve had similar conversations.

Bellamy clears his throat when the other young man looks up and sees them. He hadn’t meant to stare, but then they made eye contact, so Bellamy puts a hand on Octavia’s shoulder to propel her forward, and takes a few strides to close the distance between the two pairs.

“Joshua Donovan,” The guy says, offering Bellamy his hand to shake, “my sister’s Claudia.”

“Bellamy Blake, and my sister Octavia.” He replies.

The girls don’t seem shy, and shake hands with the guys, who both crouch down, but with each other they seem to be having a staring contest. They’re eyeing each other and standing half a step behind their respective brothers. Claudia seems to be counting the many braids in Octavia’s hair, and Octavia looks to be visually dissecting the leather and bead bracelets stacked on Claudia’s arms. The guys, who have returned to their normal height, trade a glance, before Joshua suggests that, perhaps, if Bellamy is also doing research, Claudia could go downstairs to the kids area with Octavia. Bellamy thinks this is a great idea, and that Octavia would love to go, _wouldn’t she_?

Both girls glare balefully upwards before marching off to the nearest set of stairs. The guys are silent for a moment, watching them for as long as they’re in sight. Bellamy scratches the back of his head. Joshua shifts the books he’s carrying and tugs at his sweater.

“I... we’re-”

“Our mom-”

They start and stop talking at the same time. Bellamy grins, and Joshua smiles in return.

“I’m raising her, our parents and sister… they died a few years ago in a car crash.” Joshua says, almost surprising himself with how honest he’s being after just meeting Bellamy. But something tells him that Bellamy is a kindred spirit.

Bellamy’s mouth twists in sympathy, “Our mom died three years ago. We never knew either of our dads.”

And that’s how Bellamy and Joshua become friends; they exchange a few brief sentences about why their both raising their little sisters, and then they spend the next two hours working on their respective papers side-by-side, taking turns to check on the girls.

The girls, as it turns out, already know each other.

“Hi.” Says Claudia, when they’re all the way down the steps.

“Hi.” Says Octavia.

Half an hour later, Bellamy comes down to check on them, asking if they need anything, telling Claudia that Joshua will be down in a little bit, and hugging Octavia. Octavia goes back to her Nancy Drew.

Claudia watches him head up the stairs, “I’m glad you’re back with your brother.”

Octavia looks up, “Me too.”

Joshua comes down after another twenty minutes. Claudia is frowning at a science book, and Octavia’s halfway through a Nancy Drew. He trades Claudia’s selection for a text that’s still in the kids section, but a little too high for her to reach. His choice seems to be of a far better quality than the one she had been looking at, and Claudia thanks him before delving into it. He leaves the girls the extra water bottle he had been carrying in his messenger bag, and goes back to his paper.

“They sent me to another home, without him, after you left.” Octavia whispers, when he’s gone, “they weren’t mean, like the first family, but they couldn’t take both of us.”

Claudia looks up from her book, her face pale, “There’s so much wrong with how they do things.” She says, equally quiet, “Josh said he should have been able to get me out a year earlier, but they stalled his paperwork.”

Octavia nods, “They did that to Bellamy, too. Not for a whole year, though, just a few months. But that’s still a few months…”

“That you could have been living with your real family.” Claudia finishes.

It had been rough, for her and Joshua. They’d spent several nights cuddled together because they couldn’t afford heat. And several nights cuddled together because of memories. But they’d been together. Octavia and Bellamy, she knew, had to spend longer in the system, because Bellamy was younger than Joshua.

The girls had met only a month or two before the older Donovan had finally been granted custody. They had been roommates at the Girl’s Home, several blocks from the Boy’s Home, and Octavia had been very upset when her brother was allowed to visit her only rarely. Neither she nor Claudia were particularly friendly young children but, being the only two of their relative ages, they’d become (somewhat reluctant) confidantes for each other.

Claudia had felt badly that Octavia had been left behind when Joshua was able to take her, but there was, quite literally, nothing that she could have done.

Octavia had been jealous of Claudia, when the younger girl got to leave the system because her brother had gained custody, but she hadn’t had too much time to fret over her circumstantial friend, as she was sent on to another foster family. Alone. At least those people had been kind. And they had made it a point to meet with Bellamy as often as they could.

In the end, Bellamy had gotten custody of her. They had a tiny apartment that they shared with Bellamy’s friend Raven, and she got to be with Bellamy or Raven when she wasn’t at school.

Money is tight and Octavia often wears much rattier clothing than her classmates, but she's happy.

Octavia looks over at Claudia. The redhead’s jeans look worn at the hems and knees, and there’s a hole in her sweater. Octavia bites her lip, then takes a deep breath.

When Bellamy and Joshua come to get their sisters, the girls are talking, heads together over the book Joshua had gotten down for Claudia. His sister is gesturing at the diagram of a car engine, trying to explain how combustion works for different kinds of fuel. Octavia seems interested, if a bit lost. Joshua shakes his head, amused. Bellamy looks utterly bewildered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is how they become roommates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear, Raven and Bellamy live in the same house, but they aren't in a romantic relationship. Clarke is friends with both of them. Raven is the just a year or two older than Bellamy.

“Did you like reading with Octavia?” Joshua asks as they cross the street towards their apartment.

Claudia answers with a quiet “Yeah, I guess so,” and hugs her book closer to her chest. Joshua only lets her check out one book at a time, so she usually ends up picking a large- and heavy- volume, though she knows she has to carry it the three blocks to their building.

Joshua bites back a sigh, and tries to engage her once more, “If you two like playing together Bellamy and I might work something out where one of us takes both of you while the other is in class. He’s got a friend named Raven who helps him out some, so you might spend time with her, too. This way you wouldn’t have to go to the afterschool programs.”

Claudia perks up at this, “Really?”

She has expressed her distaste for the afterschool programs many times.

“Yeah, I want to meet Raven first, and you and Octavia have to be manageable, but hopefully that’s how things will work out.” He doesn’t mention that it will also save him from having to pay for a sitter four times a week. It actually has to _work_ , so there’s no point in getting up _his_ hopes too.

They have a pretty pleasant evening, and Joshua goes to sleep with a few less worries than he’s had for a long time.

xXx

Octavia and Bellamy ride the city bus from the library to the coffee shop where Bellamy works until midnight. Clarke is just finishing her shift, and trades Bellamy her apron for Octavia, who she drives home to Raven.

Octavia is rather quieter than usual, even though Clarke can usually get her to laugh, or sing along to the radio. When Clarke drops Octavia off at Bellamy and Raven’s, she shoots him a text, letting him know, and asking if she can do anything. He replies with a ‘thanks, but I’ve got it, see you in Lit tomorrow’, and that’s that.

Inside the small blue a-frame, Octavia sits on the kitchen counter while Raven makes dinner. She explains, haltingly, why she’s upset to see Claudia, who was actually a very good friend when she needed one, and she listens to Raven when the older girl tells her that it’s okay to be confused about friendships and memories, and just because they (Claudia and Octavia) had become friends in a tough situation, didn’t mean that their friendship had to be about the tough situation. And then the grilled cheese with chicken and spinach (Bellamy could never figure out how Raven did it) is ready and they (Raven and Octavia) curl up on the couch to watch Tangled.

xXx

It does work out for Bellamy to take the girls when Joshua has class. And Joshua can usually take them when Bellamy has work. And when both of the guys are busy, either Raven or Clarke can be counted upon to save the day.

Raven, the Donovans discover to their mutual delight, is a mechanic. She is saving up, she tells them, to go to grad school for engineering physics, but motors aren’t a bore in the meantime.

Octavia might have been jealous of how close Raven and Claudia become by bonding over engines and bridges and things, except that they are so animated and silly about it, that even when Octavia can’t follow their conversation, she can laugh with them (or at them).

The young girls never forget their initial acquaintance, but they work past it, and become close friends despite their history and awkward first re-encounter.

xXx

Bellamy and Joshua also become close friends, bonding not over car parts or books, but over their parenthood. Both of them understand quite well what it is like to have the responsibility of not just their own life, but of a much younger, more fragile one, thrust upon them far too early. They have a running joke about starting a support group for young single ‘dads’.

Sometimes they don’t laugh at it.

It is a friendship built on mutual hardship and responsibility, but it isn’t all bittersweet. Once or twice a week they manage to set aside an hour to just do normal twenty-something things. Bellamy introduces Joshua to his slim video game selection (most of it is owned by Raven, but she’s generous), and Joshua teaches Bellamy archery (which his father had painstakingly taught all three Donovan children starting at age five).

And so the Blakes welcomed the Donovans into their circle.

xXx

When Joshua mentions having to pay monthly rent and renegotiate the contract soon, Bellamy talks to Raven, who talks to Clarke, who helps them clear the basement, and then move Raven into it.

Which is how the Donovans end up moving in with the Blakes (and Raven) approximately three months after that night in the university library.

Octavia makes room for Claudia (they talk their brothers into a bunk bed within two weeks), and Joshua moves into Raven’s former room. With a full house and a solid group of friends, they all start to heal, and Joshua goes to sleep every night feeling quite at peace with the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is sleep? Lab reports? What? Homework, what's that? Assignments? Due dates?  
> Someone murder me pls.  
> I've got a better idea for where I'm going with this. I'm thinking Joshua/Bellamy and Raven/Clarke.  
> Work with me on the ages/placement in/out of school. Thnx.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE NOTE:  
> I do not have experience with the foster system, CPS, or any of the like. I have done just enough poking to have some vocab that isn't entirely misused. I do not mean to mislead anyone, and I certainly hope I am not causing anyone frustration or anger because of my lack of knowledge.

It’s not perfect, but it’s good. With three working...young...adults covering the costs of one house, the thermostat can be kept at a temperature that’s a little more comfortable, and the pantry stays a little more full. School’s out for everyone, and that means a little more juggling of who keeps the girls, because Bellamy and Joshua both pick up more shifts at various jobs and internships and Clarke heads north to humor her mother. More often than not, Raven ends up taking them with her to the shop, where her boss lets them hang out in the break room. Mr. Sinclair doesn’t have children, so Raven isn’t sure how he feels about them, but when she gingerly broaches the subject of bringing her two youngest housemates, he immediately agrees.

 

What none of them count on, and _really_ , Joshua and Raven should have known, is that Claudia falls in love with the shop. She barely lasts a week stuck in the break room (with nothing more interesting to do than rewire the TV) before she’s out on the floor, poking into open engines and snagging bits of machinery off the work benches. Fortunately for everyone, it’s Raven who catches her. She turns around one afternoon and the redhead leaning so far into the nose of an old convertible that her toes have left the ground.

“ _Claudia_ ,” Raven hisses, pulling the girl out of the car, “what on Earth do you think you’re doing?”

“I fixed it!” Claudia says, proud and stubborn.

Raven looks in the hood and, indeed, it’s fixed. She swallows, unnerved by the twelve-year old’s innate ability. “You can’t be out here,” she says, “If you get in the way or get hurt I’ll lose my job and your brother will have my head on a platter, not to mention social services will have us all hauled into court.”

Claudia hangs her head, and goes back to the break room to bug Octavia, who is half way through a tome on Roman mythology.

 

That night, Bellamy, Joshua, Raven, and Clarke, who’s participating via Skype, have a long discussion after dinner. Octavia and Claudia think about eavesdropping, but for all that the conversation concerns them, they’re too interested in _Ironman_ to bother.

“Clarke, no, I’ve told you before. You can’t just fund Octavia’s life.”

“I appreciate it,” Joshua follows up, “but Bellamy’s right. These are our sister’s. They aren’t your responsibility.”

Clarke’s reply is delayed due to shoddy Wi-Fi, but she makes herself clear, “I’m not offering to pay their college tuition; it’s a summer camp. I’ll get a discount because it’s where my mom teaches, and it’s my money to spend however I like. What you should be worried about is whether or not you’re comfortable with the them being two hours away for a whole month, and if it’s even something CPS will allow. Like I said, I tried, but can’t find any program like this closer to you all.”

Raven cuts before the guys can respond, “Clarke’s right. The three of us are making it work, but it’s not like I’m married to either of you. I don’t have any more obligation to the girls than Clarke does, but you’re accepting my help. Accepting her money isn’t any more damning than accepting my time or my portion of the rent and utilities.”

Joshua looks to Bellamy. He might be older, but Bellamy has known Clarke and Raven far longer, and has had the responsibility of raising his sister longer as well. “It’s not a question of their interest. Claudia would love it and Octavia wouldn’t be bored. And I can't imagine that either of them would particularly mind being away, since Clarke would be there.”

Bellamy meets Joshua’s eyes, and realizes that the decision is up to him. He looks back at his laptop, where Clarke’s face is staring out, “If CPS doesn’t disapprove, then we’ll talk to Claudia and O.”

Bellamy and Joshua go to see their Social worker the following Tuesday. The woman, Myka Bering, is mercifully kind, if blunt, but they chalk that up to the overwhelming stack of paperwork on her desk, and the undoubtedly busy schedule that she keeps.

Ms. Bering eyes them skeptically when they’ve pitched the idea, “So you would both remain here while the girls go to DC?”

Joshua nods, “We both have work that keeps us here. We’d accompany them on the train, but Clarke and Dr. Griffin would be the adults to care for them there.”

“And, other than you,” Ms. Bering looks at Joshua, “and Claudia, and you,” her gaze moves to Bellamy, “and Octavia, none of you all are related, and you’re not related to the Griffins.”

Bellamy answers this time, “That’s correct. Clarke Griffin is designated as fictive kin, and has been since I gained custody of Octavia, and the Donovan’s have started the paperwork for that designation with her.”

There’s a few moments of silence while Ms. Bering thinks, “It would be better if Dr. Griffin was designated as fictive kin, but so long as Ms. Griffin will be in the residence…” she clicks around on her computer, and the printer in the corner clacks into life, “I’ll have you both take forms to have notarized. The will have to be signed by both you and the Griffins, which means you will both have to escort the girls to DC and go to a notary when you get there.” Joshua and Bellamy thank the social worker and leave, taking the forms with them.

“Well,” says Joshua, when the door of the CPS office closes behind them, “I guess we need to tell our girls now.”

Bellamy looks at the guy beside him, his equal, his reflection in so many ways, and realizes just how much the Donovans have changed his life. “Yeah,” he agrees, “we probably should.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I now ship Joshua/Bellamy really fucking hard. If you're not prepared for this then you should probably leave.  
> Now, I have neglected Raven and Clarke and their relationships with Bellamy and Joshua, and I hope to fix that in the next chapter, but I don't know when that will be. What I'd really like to do is explore the history that Bellamy, Clarke, and Raven have in a spin-off, but I really, REALLY shouldn't start another story.


End file.
